Meet the Founder
Education. Experience. Application. Passion. Impact.
Sara Davis, M.A. CCC-SLP
Sara is a nationally accredited and state licensed speech pathologist specializing in VOICE with years of experience in the otolaryngology (ENT) clinic setting. Aside from VOXFIT®, Sara currently works in a large otolaryngology private practice in Arizona, also functioning in a collaborative model with a laryngologist. She is grateful for this career and truly believes that the collaborative model of care is the best one--for patient care and overall treatment success.
Additionally, Sara is a fitness instructor (Level II certified in Lagree fitness), former barre instructor, former master instructor (indoor cycling), and public speaker with years of experience in the fitness and sports/media industries.
Through VOXFIT®, Sara works with clients individually to provide voice coaching, vocal training, and/or voice therapy depending on the needs of the client. Sara also provides interactive group seminars to studios, companies, and/or other groups to provide vocal training, voice coaching, and/or voice therapy tailored to the needs of the group. Additionally, she has developed and provided several courses (live and virtually) on muscle tension release, videostroboscopy (including mentoring), voice therapy training, "leading with your voice", and comprehensive voice courses for fitness professionals. VOXFIT® strives to provide research-based education and training on vocal health, vocal efficiency, and vocal dynamics and is on a mission to guide others towards VOCAL FITNESS.
Sara has published RESEARCH related to the importance of providing vocal seminars to fitness instructors comprised of education on vocal health/care to prevent voice disorders to an at-risk population, healthy voice use for an efficiently functioning vocal mechanism, and dynamic vocal performance & message delivery to effectively command a room and deliver monumental class experiences.
Click the button below for access to the article!
Sara has presented this research at national conferences (The Fall Voice Conference Seattle, 2018 and The Fall Voice Conference Dallas, 2019) and recently finished up another study on the use of vocal exercises for group fitness instructors and whether or not a structured protocol involving daily practice of semi-occluded vocal tract exercises affects the instructor’s self-perceived vocal effort, vocal fatigue, and/or voice handicap. The mission was to investigate the best "FitPro Voice Protocol" and the conclusions are amazing. She presented this research at The Fall Voice Conference San Francisco (2022), and another article is currently in development, with hope to be published again soon.
Sara is also currently writing a book entitled Vocal Fitness: Voices Fit to Inspire, targeted to positively impact & empower individuals who are occupational voice users.
She also hopes to research and develop/validate an assessment tool (the Instructor Voice Index--IVI) for quantifying the psychosocial consequences of voice disorders on fitness instructors.
In addition, Sara created the #prioritizeyourvoice Global Voice Challenge, a worldwide virtual vocal encouragement movement that has inspired others to create a new habit of prioritizing the voice daily. This continues every Friday with Prioritize Your Voice Fridays (#pyv #prioritizeyourvoice) with a mission of creating an online vocal wellness movement to inspire others.
Sara's passion for voice, fitness, public speaking, and empowering/inspiring others has led her to create VOXFIT® in hopes that she can positively impact occupational voice users, especially those that aim to lead, help, inspire, & motivate others through instruction utilizing the voice.
Sara has over 13 years of clinical/medical experience specializing in voice disorders, as well as normal voice use/production and public speaking techniques, with extensive training in the performance and assessment of videostroboscopy, acoustic analysis of voice, myofascial release/manual therapy and other laryngeal massage/manipulation treatment techniques, as well as facial cupping. She is also trained in the Estill Voice Training method (Levels One and Two), PhoRTE and LSVT certified, and experienced in treating those with upper airway disorders/dysfunction (inducible laryngeal obstruction/ILO, exercise induced laryngeal obstruction/EILO, irritable larynx syndrome/ILS, laryngeal hypersensitivity, chronic refractory cough, and dysfunctional breathing, etc.). She is trained in the Buteyko breathing method (Level One). Sara also has extensive experience treating dysphagia and the general management of swallowing disorders as well as the management of care for individuals with head/neck cancer (including fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing/FEES, modified barium swallow studies/MBSS/VFSS, and she is trained/certified in the MBS IMP, MDTP, and Pharyngocise).
Sara also has over fifteen years of experience within the sports, media, and fitness industries and has expertise in public speaking and motivating/inspiring others. She has created and executed presentations to a variety of audiences including speech pathology graduate students at several universities, performing arts students, teachers, news anchors, singers, doctors, fitness instructors, fitness studios, leadership teams, nurses, and speech pathology colleagues. She has also been featured in Reader's Digest, Elite Daily, Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups Journal, and on several podcasts (check out this website for links to the podcast recordings).
MISSION. GOALS. PURPOSE. PASSION...
Sara's goals are to increase education and awareness related to healthy care of the vocal mechanism, promote efficient and confident voice use, and to improve the clarity and effectiveness of message delivery for those who are occupational voice users through providing high quality education, training, and treatment services in addition to vocal seminars and one-on-one instruction aimed to prevent dysphonia (problems with voice) and revitalize the dynamics of vocal performance in a class and/or presentation setting.
Licensed and Certified...
Sara upholds the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Certificate of Clinical Competence in addition to a speech pathology license in the state of Arizona.
Sara earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Pathology/Audiology from Miami University (Ohio) in 2007 and her Master of Arts degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Cincinnati in 2009.
She also consistently achieves the ASHA Award for Continuing Education (ACE), which is a formal recognition of professionals who have demonstrated their commitment to lifelong learning by earning 7.0 ASHA continuing education units (equivalent to 70 contact hours) within a 36-month period.
Sara has a strong PASSION for her profession because it provides her the opportunity to positively impact the VOICE and communication capabilities of others, especially those who are charged with being leaders, teachers, and instructors--and those who play a role in inspiring & motivating others to become greater than they can be alone.
Sara believes we are all meant to interact with and inspire one another as we move towards our greater purposes and missions in life. Improving the voice and communication abilities of others results in monumental and lasting impact on community, confidence, connection, and quality of life.
Communication is KEY... And the foundation of all relationships. Verbal and nonverbal--it forms our relationships, maintains our relationships, and grows our relationships... We are put on this earth to be in the communion of others, to help others, to empathize with others, to learn and grow with others...as we strive as one body of people to come together and become greater.
Without communication, this mission halts to a standstill.
Consider how much you communicate on a daily basis...With other people, with your pets, with your coworkers, with your friends, with your family...Consider the impact of nonverbal and verbal communication...and consider the impact of your tone and facial expressions as you communicate.
What message does your communication send to others?
Communication is so powerful and has endless possibilities for us individually and as a whole...
I am eternally grateful that my career allows me to help others communicate through the power of VOICE!
TRUTH.
VOICE is a full-body experience. Our body, mind, and spirit all work together and intertwine beautifully to develop, strengthen, rebalance, support, illuminate, and create the best and most authentic voice possible for each of us.
If we fail to recognize & embrace the connection between these foundational components of VOICE, we will be doing ourselves a disservice as we journey towards finding our best vocal selves... although it's important to remember it is always a process and never a destination...and we must trust the process and involve mind, body, and spirit in all aspects of learning to fully create all that we are capable of becoming--vocally, professionally, & personally.
It's not the ability to verbalize what you were "educated on", but instead the mastery of embodying what you "learned" and carrying that onward towards evolution & growth. Do not fear the power of opening you HEART to new and continued learning. Embrace the priceless beauty of education by involving not only your mind, but also your body and spirit...
